A review by chalkletters
Jade City by Fonda Lee

adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

As 'fantasy kung-fu film' was not immediately a selling point for me, Jade City is a book I wouldn't have read were it not for book club. Despite that, the opening chapter made me reconsider my position. I love heists and stories with lots of betrayal, and Jade City seemed to promise both. The prose was easy to read, too, which hasn't always been the case with book club books. Even so, I did find sometimes find my attention slipping from passages primarily concerned with world-building or backstory.

The characters were sympathetic and interesting — I particularly enjoyed Anden and Wen, though I wondered if Anden's LGBTQ+ identity was a bit tacked-on. It added a little to his subplot, but it felt like a wasted opportunity to explore it in more depth. Perhaps that's just a casualty of Jade City being definitely an ensemble piece, rather than focused tightly on any one character.

Plot-wise, for me, Jade City was a little lacklustre. I found myself questioning who wanted what, and whether I particularly cared whether or not they got it. This was most apparent in Lan's and Hilo's plots. Hilo wanted revenge, obviously, but for something I knew he didn't have all the facts about, which made it somewhat difficult to care. On this score, Shae’s plot was more compelling.

I enjoyed some of the small details — especially the way Fonda Lee handled luck, making it into a supposed force in her world made certain instances of narrative convenience much more interesting. Overall, Jade City was a good foundation, but it left me wanting something a bit deeper.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings